Olive Branch
by Ficalicious
Summary: Kate wants to make peace with Jack. But on an island with no olives how is she supposed to find an olive branch?


Title: Olive Branch

Rating: R (probably not but just in case)

Summary: Kate finds a way to offer Jack peace

Disclaimer: Not mine, nothing is, never were, blah blah blah

Author's note: I'm not entirely happy with this ONE; it's more like a beginning to another fic I am writing. Just so you know, I hate Ana-Lucia to hell and hope she and Locke die a horrible flamey death along with the hatch. So of course I couldn't pass up a chance to make her miserable! Enjoy!

Jack ran his hand over his closely cropped hair and down his neck to knead the tense muscles there, before reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose.

There was tightness in his neck, his chest and especially his groin. All three had been present for several days, since the incident in the jungle. Since the unexpected, albeit long awaited, kiss that Kate had bestowed upon him.

He felt angry. He felt confused. He felt sexually frustrated. But most of all he felt hurt.

His initial anger and concern for Kate, two constants in his life, were replaced immediately with the strongest sense of want when he had seen her in the jungle. He knew she was at breaking point, knew she needed someone to be strong for her. That was why he had grabbed her, held her. The kiss was a result of weeks and weeks of pent up sexual tension. He was unsure now if that tension was just from his side of things, if Kate's attraction to Sawyer had been misdirected towards him.

When she had run from him, left him standing in the jungle, confused and hard, his heart had clamped up. Then, when he had gone after Michael with Locke and Sawyer he could not bring himself to let her come. Could not stand seeing her in danger, but was also unable to control himself around her. He wanted to kiss her, to touch her, to _talk_ to her. But Kate was the master at avoiding conversations she'd rather not have and a tense silence was growing between them.

Seeing the gun pointed at her head, that cold, stark metal pressed against her temple, the rough sack over her head, something had twanged inside of him. That last thread of sanity, of control evaporated and all he wanted was to open fire and kill as many of those bastards as he could.

Of course, that was not the way these things worked. He crumpled, as always. He handed over the guns and Sawyer got Kate. As if his decision hadn't been hard enough.

And that was why they were no longer speaking. Well, to be correct, why he was not speaking to her. Kate had made several attempts before giving up and giving him space. And time that Jack would have usually spent with Kate was spent with Ana-Lucia instead.

Since the discovery of the hatch Jack hadn't spent much of his time at the caves. In between pushing the button and treating Sawyer he'd had hardly any time to sleep while managing his other duties on the island.

The path was empty as he made his way from the beach to get more water and to check his things. He played with the idea of maybe getting a little bit of sleep.

As he approached the caves he saw Hurley talking with Charlie, who was playing what sounded like blues on his guitar. Jack was aware of the drugs that Charlie had been keeping, and of Claire's outburst at him. But Jack had too many of his own troubles to be playing Island Relationship Therapist.

As he entered the cave where he had slept and kept the makeshift infirmary he heard someone swear as something fell to the ground. He jogged in to see who it was and came to a dead stop.

"Jack! I wasn't expecting you back for a while,"

"What are you doing here?" he said more gruffly than he meant to. A hurt expression flashed across Kate's features before she gave him a soft smile and went back to her task.

She was holding several pieces of bamboo together and tying them with vines.

"Could you lend me a hand?" She asked, indicating two bamboo lengths that needed to be held.

Jack slowly walked into the cave, eyeing her warily as he took off his pack. He didn't know what she was up to and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be talking to her yet.

Kate gave Jack a look as he just stood there. Slowly he walked over and took hold of the bamboo. She deftly tied it and picked up another length, attaching that to the rest. A rough square was taking place.

Jack wanted to know what Kate was doing there, especially since he had not seen her for a day or so. He was unwilling to ask, however, and Kate did not volunteer conversation. She worked steadily, occasionally getting him to hold bamboo lengths or tie something together.

After a long silence she stood back and lifted the collection of bamboo. She turned it over and sat it in front of Jack.

He looked from it to her, suddenly realising that she was offering it to him.

"It's a medicine cabinet," Kate explained, crouching down next to the shelf.

"A medicine cabinet?" Jack echoed, incredulous. Kate nodded, the sweetest of smiles gracing her lips. Jack felt his heart begin to melt.

"I noticed that you were keeping all the medicines in a bag and it was hard to keep track of them. I thought this would help you know where they all were and how much was left." She looked at her feet before glancing back up at Jack, who was yet to say anything more.

"Consider it an olive branch," she told him, standing and moving to leave. "Except that it's bamboo." With that she left, leaving Jack to himself to think.

Jack's mind was in overdrive as he battled with the foliage several hours later. He had stood staring at the medicine cabinet for what seemed like an eternity before finally moving. He had changed his clothes, had a drink, and sat for a while, his mind not being able to process what had happened. Then he had crouched down in front of the cabinet and studied it. He reached into the medicine bag and began to transfer its contents onto the shelves.

When all of the meagre supplies were sitting neatly on the shelves he had gotten up, grabbed his pack and headed out, one destination firmly in mind.

The beach was busy. It was the middle of the day and people were busily going about their day. Some were chopping wood, organising food and water, Jin was fishing.

Jack walked quickly across the sand, straight past Sawyer's tent, which was where he had initially expected to find her. Instead, Sawyer was lying back on his airplane seat fast asleep, the meds still making him groggy.

Further down the beach Jack caught a glimpse of her. The way the sun reflected off her dark curls drawing his gaze.

Kate was washing clothes with Rose, her hands submerged in a basin of water, when she sensed someone walking up behind her. She turned and that was when everything went into slow motion.

Jack was walking directly towards her, his face unreadable. She let the wet clothes drop from her hands into the sand.

Jack stopped just in front of Kate. His hand slowly came up to caress her cheek, to push a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

Kate's eyes drifted closed, the feel of Jack's hands on her skin again wonderful after days of not talking.

Then his lips were on hers, a soft, insistent kiss. A cheer rose out on the beach as the survivors witnessed Kate and Jack finally admitting their relationship.

All sounds and movement were blocked out as Kate melted into Jack, her body relaxing against his, her mouth opening in a gasp.

Jack took advantage of this and deftly slipped his tongue inside to caress hers. He tightened his arms around her, allowing her to feel his need.

Kate's hands began to wander down Jack's chest, itching to reach further and finally _know_ this man.

A pointed cough brought them out of their daze. Kate peeked up from Jack's neck and saw all the people watching them. She quickly buried her face in his chest. Jack glanced up, chagrined.

"Maybe you two ought to take this somewhere more private," Rose hinted, a smile gracing her lips.

And as Jack led Kate by her hand back towards the hatch, back to some privacy, to thank her properly, Ana-Lucia was left standing on the beach, watching. Alone.


End file.
